FRANKFORT, Ky. (5/3/13) – Law enforcement officers from 19 agencies across the state graduated today from basic training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training.

The 27 officers of Class 443 completed 18 weeks of training, which consisted of nearly 770 hours of recruit-level-officer academy instruction. Major training areas included homeland security, law offenses and procedures, vehicle operations, firearms, investigations, first aid/CPR, patrol procedures, orientation for new law enforcement families and mechanics of arrest, restraint and control.

Basic training is mandatory for Kentucky law enforcement officers who are required to comply with the state’s Peace Officer Professional Standards Act of 1998. The Department of Criminal Justice Training provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police, airport police and others.

The Department of Criminal Justice Training is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. The agency is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and was the first in the nation to be accredited under CALEA’s public safety training program designation. In 2006, the academy also became the first law enforcement training academy in the nation to be named as a CALEA flagship agency.

The agency also provides in-service and leadership training for Kentucky law enforcement officers and public safety dispatch training.